Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver ☆☆☆☆

I couldn't get into this book at first. The five page prologue could have been a self-contained story. The seventy-two page first chapter could have been a self-contained story. I just didn't see where it was going because I just don't get post-death stories. And then I get to chapter two and realize that this book is Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day. The moral almost felt like it was being shoved down my throat. But the more the characters developed, the more I found it harder to put the book down.

My biggest problem is that I tend to read books that are highly recommended before even finding out what the book is about. So obviously, when I don't read post-death books, it was a little unsettling to find myself in the middle of one.

The characters start out as stereotypes: the top of the popular girls/the mean girls, and then those that are bullied. But as each relived day unfolds the characters are revealed to be even more and more complex. This story screams high school and reminded me of what I was like that long ago, except that I wasn't one of the popular girls. I was more like Anna Cartullo (and I wish I could have seen more of her in the book). This book was just so real and it's something that every high schooler should read. However, there is the issue that it's aimed at mean girls that need to rethink their actions and I doubt any of the popular girls would read a book like this (if at all). Nevertheless, this story really went where it needed to go and more... I just wish the ending was different, it left me unsatisfied and empty, even though I know it was part of the point.